The following
classroom resource is offered to teachers who would like to use
St. Anthony Messenger in the classroom. This resource is
prepared with high school students in mind, but can be adapted for
other age groups. We will feature one article for classroom use
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Anthony Messenger, where you will see all of the graphics, and
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CATHOLICS AMONG THE
MORMONS

IDEA ONE

Comparative
religion:

This article
can support classroom work in comparative religion studies. It
offers a personal view of everyday Catholics living, working and
praying among a majority Mormon population in Utah.

To focus
students research in the two faiths, try approaching the
comparison of Catholicism and Mormonism through these topics:

1. History and tradition

Does Catholicism
trace its roots back to the days of Jesus life on earth,
and even further to Judaism? Is there a common Catholic/Protestant
history and tradition? Has the Catholic Church maintained a consistent
leadership throughout its history? For a list of reliable sources,
go to http://www.AmericanCatholic.org/About/
and click on Related Catholic
Links.

Research
the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
See http://www.lds.org/ for
the official Mormon Web page. It offers a history of the church,
Joseph Smith, and its sacred writings. How far back can you trace
it? Is there a consistent leadership? Is it different from that
of Catholicism? Try a Net search under Book of Mormon
to find text and history of Mormonisms sacred books.

What evangelizing approaches do the Mormons use? Besides information
in the article, try also reading Kingdom Come in Time
magazine, August 4, 1997, vol. 150, no. 5. You can find it on
the Net through http://www.pathfinder.com/.
See the letters to the editor responding to the article, in the
August 25 issue, to get a personal response to Times
article. What kind of charitable work does the Mormon church do?

3. The role of Christ

Discuss Jesus role in the lives of Catholics. How do we
characterize JesusSon of God, friend, brother, role model,
support, source of life...? Why do we talk about Jesus as a sign
of contradiction in the world? Is there a Christian value to suffering
and pain, to a lack of acceptance in the world?

How does this compare with a Mormons view of Jesus? Using
the articles in St. Anthony Messenger and in Time,
describe Jesus as a Mormon would. Talk about the Time discussion
of the Mormons struggle for acceptance in this country.
Is material success really a sign of virtue, as Time suggests?
Is there a comparison to European Catholic immigrants who came
to America and tried to assimilate to this countrys ways?

IDEA TWO

Personal acceptance of faith:

The St. Anthony Messenger article talks of Mormons evangelizing
young people. A Utahn Catholic tells the author how the Mormons
strong efforts in evangelizing create resistance among Catholics,
to the point of not wanting to evangelize on their own behalf.
In Family Life or general religion classes, a discussion of how
we come to our faith may supplement class and text material.

1. Discuss what presently attracts you to faith and belief. Or
what would attract you to a life of faith? Brainstorm the idea
with your class. Possible reasons may be:

someone else evangelizing you?

coming to faith by personal invitation?

a role model or the real life example of someone? Who could
that someone be?

the direct influence of parents or teachers?

your own research into religious subjects?

growing up in a religious family or environment?

a predominantly passive acceptance of beliefs?

a deeply personal experience, such as a tragic loss of a loved
one, prayer, or a retreat?

2. Mormons and Catholics seem to have a common interest in building
temples or cathedrals as symbols of their faith. Both faiths have
extensive wealth in real estate and other investments. Does this
serve a genuine need for gathering and worship? Does it attract
believers? Discuss worship as a way of attracting/strengthening
believers. Assembling believers in liturgy and prayer can be a
powerful motivating force. Do Catholicism and Mormonism have anything
in common in this regard?

3. Your students might also try contacting teens in other parishes
to discuss the path to personal faith. Through http://www.paa2000.com,
you can find links to Catholic parishes with Web sites. Try also
http://www.ocp.org for links
to other parishes with Web sites.

Pope John Paul II addressed Christian youth at World Youth Day,
held in Paris this past August. His addresses can be accessed
by going to the Vaticans official Web site, http://www.vatican.va
and then searching on the words World Youth Day.

Further Resources

Try accessing some of these Internet sources for reference. Be
aware, however, that some of these sites may charge for downloading
articles contained within the sites archives.

The links contained within this resource guide are functional
at the time the page is posted. Over time, however, some of the links
may become ineffective.

These links are provided solely as a convenience to you
and not as an endorsement by St. Anthony Messenger Press/Franciscan
Communications of the contents on such third-party Web sites. St. Anthony
Messenger Press/Franciscan Communications is not responsible for the
content of linked third-party sites and does not make any representations
regarding the content or accuracy of materials on such third-party Web
sites. If you decide to access linked third-party Web sites, you do
so at your own risk.